Statin Drugs Or Alternatives In Cholesterol Management?

It is not uncommon for people to experience high levels of cholesterol in ones bloodstream. However, this does not mean that you should not take action. Cholesterol management is a bold move that helps protect you from many other complications including heart problems. The only problem is that many people are not willing to take normal steps to help reduce these levels. Many will therefore visit their doctor for a prescription of medicine that helps lower the levels.

Most of the doctors prescribe statin drugs to help alleviate the problem. However these drugs have various side effects such as blockage of the production of Co Q10. They also have another major side effect referred to as rhabdomyolysis. This is a condition whereby cells burst releasing their contents into the bloodstream and causing pain.

When the cellular debris is released into the bloodstream, it is the duty of the kidneys to clean it. In extreme conditions where the kidneys are overwhelmed, this might not be very easy leading to kidney failure and even death. At this point most of you would prefer to suffer the consequences of cholesterol rather than die from statin complications.

One question remains though. Why do people and medical practitioners opt to use statin drugs to lower cholesterol levels? First it is god to note that the drugs do lower cholesterol levels. This can happen even without taking any exercises or changing ones diet. It is also easier for the doctor to prescribe the drugs than talk about supplements.

The other major question many ask is whether there is a better solution. Of course there are many ways you can use to manage your cholesterol levels safely and without much cost. If you are already using statin drugs, you can ask for alternatives or have your liver function monitored closely.

Apart from this, there are different natural foods and herbs you can take to manage your cholesterol. The first one is alfalfa herb which contains saponins in the seeds. This helps block atherosclerotic plaque formation which happens when there is accumulation of cholesterol. The seeds attack the low-density lipoprotein in the blood replacing it with high-density lipoprotein.

Understanding Oxidative Stress.

The world of oxygen, oxidative stress, free radicals, antioxidants, preventing degenerative disease and slowing the aging process.
Oxygen. It's essential to our planet's life force, and the way we breathe, function, and stay healthy. Without it, our organs couldn't function. We wouldn't be able to live. However, oxygen also plays a vital role in the breakdown of our body's functionality - but only if we're not keeping ourselves in balance and free of toxins. Let's see why.


What is oxidative stress?

Oxidative stress, simply put, is the damage made to a cell through the oxidative process.

Oxidation, in itself, is a very normal process - it happens all the time to our bodies and many things that surround us.
However, when there are disturbances in the natural oxidation process, such as the attraction of a free radical to another molecule in your body, the results are often toxic effects.
Imagine an iron pipe lying on the ground. As it weathers years of rain, environmental exposure, sun, and other factors, it begins to rust.

The rust is caused by oxidation. Free oxygen radicals are created during the metabolism of normal oxygen cells, or oxidation. These free radicals are missing a simple electron and are in search of another molecule that they can combine with to become "whole." In their quest, they fire charges that damage other cells and structures around them. This, in turn, causes the rust.
In effect, your body is "rusting" as it goes through its lifetime, the free oxygen radicals wildly running through your system, searching for a mate.

As you can see, the more free radicals your body contains, the more damage that's likely to be done. The best way to see this damage is through our normal aging process.


Oxidative Stress and Aging

While modern medicine has found ways for humans to live longer, our quality of life - especially during the last 30 years - has gone down.
Much of this can be attributed to oxidative stress and the toxins that we're encountering more and more throughout our lives.

A simple way to visually experience the effects of oxidative stress on aging is to visit a nursing home. Compare the skin of a five-year-old to that of a resident, and notice the breakdown, wrinkles, and color as compared to the smooth, supple skin of a child.
Throughout our lives, our skin encounters free radicals in many different forms, and their effect is clearly obvious on our skin.

But oxidative stress isn't only apparent on the outside. It's the cause of many or most diseases our society is concerned with today.


Oxidative Stress and Disease

To date, science has discovered that oxidative stress may very well be the cause of over 70 well-known, widely-spread diseases.

Depending on what form of toxin or stress your body is exposed to on an ongoing basis, you could find yourself suffering, even at an early age, from diseases that could be prevented if only you'd have minimized the harmful free radicals in your system.

Here are just some of the diseases are caused by oxidative stress:

• Heart Disease
• Cancer
• Arthritis
• Lung Disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Diabetes
• Neurodegenerative Diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
• Autoimmune Diseases
• Eye Diseases like Macular Degeneration



A Look at Free Radicals

Obviously, even back in the early days of man, free radicals existed and caused oxidative stress.
They're inherent to life and a normal byproduct of regular oxygen molecule metabolism. However, our bodies were only made to withstand so much exposure to free radicals (even though our body does an amazing job at neutralizing them in a normal, low-toxin setting).
The increased and prolonged exposure to these wild and reckless free radicals cause a faster build-up of "rust" or disease in our bodies.

So what are some of the most common reasons our bodies' oxygen molecules oxidize themselves into an increased amount of free radicals? Some of them you're probably well aware of, and some of them may come as a surprise.

• Environmental and Air Pollution
• Cigarette Smoking
• Excess Stress
• Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications
• Radiation
• Excessive Exercise
• Increased Exposure to Sunlight



The Heroic Role of Antioxidants

The key ingredient, by far, to reducing the amount of free radicals in your system is antioxidants. 
Antioxidants are fantastic little substances that wander through your body, giving up an electron to the greedy free radicals charging through your system. They neutralize the free radicals and allow your body to do its business of excreting them safely and without harm.


Our bodies already make several different types of antioxidants all on their own. But as our exposure to harmful free radicals in the environment and through our lifestyles increase, our need for outside supplies of antioxidants is vital in the war against aging and degenerative disease.


While a good supply of antioxidants come from natural sources like healthy food, we also need to supplement those sources.


Increasingly, our food supply is being degraded through harmful growing practices and soil depletion, and can no longer be relied upon to protect us from the oxidative stress all around us.
With a healthy supply of free-radical-neutralizing antioxidants, you can see how our bodies are better able to withstand and ward off the "rusting" for decades longer than we currently do.

Help For Digestive Problems

Digestive problems are the No. 1 problem in North America. These diseases, encompassing everything from hemorrhoids to colon cancer, result in more time lost—at work, school, and play—than any other health problem. They also appear to be occurring with much more frequency—while many of them were almost unheard of in our grandparents’ times, they are cropping up more and more and at an earlier and earlier age.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a common complaint: some 10 to 20 percent of the population experiences the diverse symptoms this syndrome causes. IBS goes by several different names. It is also called spastic colon, spastic bowel, mucous colitis, spastic colitis, colitis, intestinal neurosis, and functional bowel disease.
As its name indicates, it is a collection of symptoms that can appear in any number of combinations. These symptoms include bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain and spasms, and nausea. The pain is often triggered by eating, so people suffering from IBS don’t always eat enough, which results in malnutrition.


Most health practitioners agree that there is no set cause of IBS, and that food allergies, medication, stress, hormone changes, low fiber intake, infection, parasites, lactose intolerance, laxatives, and antibiotic abuse could all be involved. In fact, the consensus is that just about anything that disturbs our intestinal bacterial balance—the ratio of good bacteria to bad bacteria—could have a hand in causing IBS. IBS is not serious in that it is not life-threatening; however, it makes for a very uncomfortable life.


In IBS, the normal rhythm of the muscular contractions of the digestive tract becomes irregular and uncoordinated—the body’s digestive system usually churns along like a good washing machine, but in IBS, the "wash cycle" is irregular, and this interferes with movement of food and water. This means that the food, instead of "rinsing out" of the body efficiently, accumulates in the digestive tract, which, in turn, leads to the accumulation of mucus and toxins in the intestines. The result of this is that gas and stool do not flow freely, and, viola, the above-mentioned symptoms begin to appear.


Because many of the IBS symptoms are the same as those found in more serious digestive problems (such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), the first thing to do is to eliminate the possibility that the symptoms are related to one of these. After you and your health practitioner are sure that your problem is IBS, action can be taken.


Many health practitioners feel that food allergies are the main cause of IBS and recommend being tested for allergic reactions to foods. Foods that trigger allergies include cheese, milk, chocolate, butter, coffee, eggs, and nuts. Controlling food allergies often controls IBS.


Dietary changes can help relieve symptoms. Avoid animal fat, butter, carbonated drinks, chocolate and candy, dairy products, fried foods, sugar, food additives, alcohol, and tobacco. Most health practitioners recommend a high-fiber diet and supplementing with a bulking fiber like psyllium. Drinking plenty of water is also important.


Helpful supplements include aloe vera, peppermint, chamomile, melissa, valerian, ginger, and chaste berry.

Help For Constipation

 

 

Not everyone's perception of bowel regularity is the same. While one person may expect to have a bowel movement every day, another individual is perfectly content with a movement every three or four days.  Constipation is not merely defined by a reduction in the frequency of bowel movements, although that is one criterion. Rather, it involves a sensation of incomplete emptying, straining to evacuate the bowel, and hard or lumpy stools. People who feel constipated often turn to herbal remedies for relief.

Demulcents

A demulcent is an agent that soothes and protects your mucous membranes. Herbs that are rich in mucilage, such as plantain, fenugreek, chickweed, slippery elm, mullein and marshmallow, and foods that contain pectin, such as apples, plums and guavas, are examples of demulcents. While they are not laxatives, per se, they improve bowel function by coating and lubricating the inner lining of your gut.

Stimulants

Some herbs help to stimulate muscular activity in your intestine, which improves bowel activity and increases the frequency of bowel movements. Senna, cascara, buckthorn, rhubarb and aloe are stimulants, according to nutritional expert Phyllis Balch, author of "Prescription for Herbal Healing." Dosages of stimulant herbs vary, depending on the type of herb and the concentration of the preparation. Stimulants can generate excessive bowel activity, which may result in abdominal cramping, diarrhea, dehydration and electrolyte depletion.

 

 

Bulking Agents

Some herbal preparations act as bulk-forming agents. They help to retain moisture in your intestine, thereby softening your stool and increasing its volume. A softer, bulkier stool is more easily propelled through your gut. Psyllium husks, kelp, bran and hibiscus are all plant-derived bulking agents. Bulking agents help to re-establish normal intestinal motility in chronic cases of constipation, and they may even prove useful for people suffering from intermittent diarrhea. Bulking agents tend to cause fewer side effects than stimulants, so they can usually be used for longer periods of time without causing problems.

 

 

Bitters

The presence of bitter-tasting compounds at the back of your tongue triggers reflexes from your brain, which stimulate bowel activity. This is one of the reasons black coffee gets people's bowels working in the morning. Bitter agents also increase the flow of bile into your intestine, which further stimulates bowel activity. Any child who has touched a dandelion stem to his tongue knows that this herb possesses remarkable bitter properties. Goldenseal and Oregon grape are bitter herbs that may be useful for constipation.

 

 

Considerations

Constipation can result from a variety of factors. Many causes, such as reduced fluid intake, physical inactivity or a change in diet, are benign and usually self-limiting. Others, such as hypothyroidism, irritable bowel syndrome or intestinal masses, may merit medical attention.

Lower Blood Pressure With Olive Leaf

Olive leaf

Initials researchers found that the olive lead extract (oleurpein) had the capacity to lower blood pressure in animals. Other European researchers confirmed this finding and determined that olive leaf extract also increased blood flow in the coronary arteries, relieved arrhythmias, and prevented intestinal muscle spasms.

Dutch researcher determined that active ingredients in the oleurpein. This active ingredient is called elenolic acid. It was found to have a powerful anti-bacterial effect. Studies showed that elenolic acid killed every virus tested-every single one! Among the viruses tested were herpes, influenza, a couple of leukemia and a sarcoma. Elenolic acid was also effective against parasitic protozoans and bacteria. Furthermore, it was found to counteract a variety of viruses associated with the common cold on humans.

At Spain's University of Granada, pharmacologists determined that the olive leaf extract causes relaxation of arterial walls in laboratory animals, such results suggested a possible benefit for hypertension.

In Tunis, researchers found that the aqueous extract of olive leaves reduced hypertension, blood sugar, and the level of uric acid in rodents. This finding also indicates potential in the treatment of hypertension, as well as diabetes and heart diseases.

Olive leaf extract has been reported to:

• Enhance the immune system
• Increase energy
• Has an internal cleansing action
• Has an anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic actions
• Can reduce or even eliminate many diverse health problems
• Lowers blood pressur
• Lowers blood fats
• Reduces blood sugar 

Lower Blood Sugar And Cholesterol With Fenugreek

Fenugreek

As a medicinal plant, fenugreek has traditionally been considered a carminative, demulcent, expectorant, laxative and stomachic. The plant has also been employed against bronchitis, fevers, sore throats, wounds, swollen glands, skin irritations, diabetes, ulcers, and in the treatment of cancer. Fenugreek has been used to promote lactation and as an aphrodisiac. Furthermore, fenugreek seeds have been used as an oral insulin substitute, and seen extracts have been reported to lower blood glucose levels.

Compounds extracted from the plant have shown cardiotonic anticholeserolemic, hypoglycemic, diuretic, antichloristic, and hypertensive activity. One of its constituents is an alkaloid called іtrigonellineІ which has shown potential for use in cancer therapy. The seeds contain steroidal saponins that account for the many beneficial effects of fenugreek, particularly the inhibition of cholesterol absorption and synthesis. The seeds are also rich in dietary fiber, which may be the main reason why it can lower blood sugar levels in diabetes.

Fenugreek has the following properties:

• Lowers fever
• Supports the respiratory system
• Treating gastritis and gastric ulcers
• Treatment of cancer
• Anti-diabetic (lowers blood sugar levels
• Lowers cholesterol level
• Laxative
• Carminative
• Increases breast-milk production
• Induces childbirth

SEA KELP

Kelp is a variety of seaweed that can be found on rocky shores throughout the world. It is a natural food source that can be obtained from all good health stores.


There is a large list of nutrients in kelp and these include over 70 minerals and trace elements, growth hormones, vitamins, enzymes, and proteins which include iodine, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron.



What Can Kelp Do For You?

There are a large number of kelp benefits that have been discovered throughout the years and taking a kelp supplement really can help to keep your body healthy. Some of the main benefits that have been discovered are:

• Kelp has been shown to help alleviate arthritis pain
• Kelp can help to increase energy levels
• Boost immunity
• Improve liver function
• Fight against heart disease and cancer
• Suppress AIDS
• Control appetite and can help with weight loss due to its metabolism stimulating properties.
• Kelp has been used to treat thyroid problems due to the iodine in kelp which helps under active thyroids which is due to the lack of iodine.
• Helps with poor digestion, flatulence and constipation.
• Kelp kills the herpes virus
• Kelp helps to lower cholesterol levels
• Kelp helps to maintain the health of the mucous membranes
• Kelp can be used to help reduce hair loss.

As you can see taking a kelp supplement really does have some powerful health benefits but what else is there to know about kelp. As you already know kelp is in fact a seaweed and can be bought dried, granulated or as a powder. Getting the health benefits of kelp is extremely easy as kelp can be added to drinks or water and it can also be used for flavouring or as a salt substitute. Kelp can be used when cooking and can be added to soups, stews, stir fries, and cooked with beans or grains.


Kelp benefits are constantly being investigated and studied but there is nothing stopping you from beginning to restore your body's health now by taking a kelp supplement or adding kelp into your daily cooking routine. Remember your health is in your hands so why not take the necessary steps now.